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Herald Reporter
The Swedish Embassy has partnered Population Services International (PSI) in an awareness campaign on menstrual health management to demystify issues around the subject.

Menstrual health issues have kept many girls out of school, especially in developing countries, due to the cultural myths associated with menstruation such as impurity.

The campaign is expected to interrogate the matter, create awareness on the fundamental role that good menstrual hygiene and management plays in making young girls and women achieve their full potential.

“Sweden continues to support efforts to better understand the magnitude of the problem and to support the development of policies to tackle the inequality surrounding menstrual hygiene management (MHM),” said programmes officer with the Swedish Embassy, Ms Memory Mutsaka.

“It is only by freeing up the space for conversations that people can start to acknowledge the challenges girls and women face.

“The challenges are not only limited to unaffordability of pads, but includes lack of information, lack of sanitary facilities — water, disposal bins and negative myths and misconceptions.

“Solutions to these challenges must be found and the starting point is conversations.”

Reproductive health issues are provided for by international human rights laws.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Number 4, provides for inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of life-long learning opportunities for all.

SDG Number 5 also seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

The campaign calls for other women to play a role of information dissemination to young girls to manage and live a healthy productive life during menstruation.